


I Will Always Find You

by LozB4



Category: 9-1-1: Lone Star (TV 2020)
Genre: Comfort, Domestic Fluff, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Hostage Situations, Implied/Referenced Homophobia, M/M, guess work at 2x08
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-02
Updated: 2021-03-02
Packaged: 2021-03-15 07:47:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,882
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29805195
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LozB4/pseuds/LozB4
Summary: After getting TK back from the hostage situation, Carlos convinces his boss to let him take his boyfriend's statement after noticing how shaken TK really is.
Relationships: Carlos Reyes/TK Strand
Comments: 9
Kudos: 390





	I Will Always Find You

**Author's Note:**

> So I saw a post about this on tumblr and I really wanted to write it so here is my attempt, my headache induced guessing about what might happen next week with lots of fluff and basically TK and Carlos being TK and Carlos. I am British so please excuse any British-isms which may have slipped in, remembering to say Mom instead of mum is the bane of my existence. 
> 
> Also as a fun side note, Carlos' joke about 'we're gay straight isn't our specialty' is pretty much how I accidentally outed myself to 6 people so representation of queer disasters in this fic!

"Alright Reyes, I'll send Jones over to talk to your boyfriend and then you can take him home as long as you don't think he needs medical for that face." Carlos glances across the police station from his boss' office to locate his boyfriend, finally spotting the other man at Carlos' desk where he seemingly just went by his own accord. For a second anger flashes through him at the stark purple bruising around TK's eye, the imprint of a gun. The anger at the paramedic kidnappers is quickly replaced by worry, by TK's tapping foot and rapid clicking of Carlos' poor pen, the paramedic isn't in a good place.

"Would you mind if I took his statement?" Its a push, he knows, he also knows that TK will probably attempt to say as little as possible in order to get away sooner, unless it is Carlos he is talking to. 

"A conflict of interest you don't think hmm?" Carlos is tempted to thump his head in his hands and just moan in despair but a deep breath allows him to keep his cool and continue for TK's sake. 

"You can sit in if you like, or Jones can. But he's had a bad day, he's scared and tired and probably has one hell of a headache. Please sir, you won't get any solid statement out of him in the way he is right now. I can help him calm down a little." The older man looks like he is tempted to refuse but Carlos knows how to do puppy dog eyes, after dating TK for a year its almost a guarantee. 

"Alright, I'll sit a desk over and listen in just to keep the records happy. Not that I don't trust you to keep it professional." 

Carlos' heart melts a little as he walks over to TK and much like they did when he found his boyfriend in that empty restaurant kitchen, his boyfriend's eyes light up, his posture changing slightly and his tapping foot stops. "Can we go home?" 

"Soon, very soon. Just need your statement." TK's gaze is drawn to Carlos' boss behind him and seemingly comes to the logical conclusion of it all. 

"Oh. Will you wait outside for me then?"

"No, no I'm taking your statement, Ross is just going to sit there and make sure I'm not making out that it was worse than it was."

"It was pretty bad."

"I know." Carlos soothes, plucking the pen from TK's grasp and replacing it with his left hand which TK holds onto for dear life, his fingers wrapping around Carlos' wrist, if Carlos feels him measuring his pulse he doesn't say a word. "Alright, name. Tyler Kennedy Strand."

"Ugh." 

Fondly Carlos shakes his head and continues filling in TK's details without his input, "Alright, to the best of your ability, just tell me what happened, anything you can think of."

"We got a call out to a parking garage. Caller said her water broke. Got to the right level and a woman was lying on the ground but she didn't look pregnant. When we got near enough she sat up and pulled a gun on us. There was a click behind me and a guy with a gun was pointing a gun at my head." TK exhales heavily and Carlos shifts his leg to rest against TK's, in all their little heart to hearts, Carlos has learned TK's little tells, all of them involve wanting physical contact. 

Carlos doesn't even attempt to push TK into continuing, the gentle brush of his thumb over the back of TK's hand seems to be enough motivation, he speaks with his gaze on the floor, as if the only way he can get through it is if he doesn't add any emotion. "They took us to a van I thought they were going to make us get in. But they had a guy inside. He had a gunshot wound, was barely breathing. Captain Vega tried to convince them to let us take him to hospital but he must have been hiding from you guys, couldn't get treatment where they would ask questions. They took us to this empty restaurant. Nancy and Tommy they were with the patient and no one was looking at me. There was a fire alarm and I thought if I pulled it then everyone else nearby wasn't in danger and eventually people would search the building to find the source. The guy he must have seen me, he stopped me, hit me in the face. When I was down he kicked me in the stomach twice then told me to get up." 

Carlos must make an unconscious noise of worry because TK pauses, his hand squeezing against his gently, their eyes searching the other's and TK exhales deeply again. "He kept his gun on me all the time after that, against my back I could feel it, I kept thinking I- I thought he was going to shoot and I would go through my spine and- I" He stops and shakes his head, looking like a trapped dear in very bright headlights. 

"Ty its ok. It didn't happen. It didn't happen and you're ok." 

"But it could have!" 

"I know. I know. And you have every right to be scared about it." 

"Not scared." TK mumbles then just pouts at the expression Carlos gives him. "And then you came. And my Dad. And your Dad. And there was a gun pointed at you and I realised that the idea of that was actually worse than having a gun pointed at me." His fingers press against Carlos' pulse again, under the slight pressure Carlos can feel the steady thrum under TK's fingertips and he hopes it soothes the other man as much as having TK's leg pressed against his soothes Carlos. "And then I accidentally outed you to him because I couldn't think straight."

"We're gay, straight isn't exactly our speciality. And I don't care. As long as you're safe. Although I don't think we have to add that bit to this form. I think that's us. You did great babe."

"So we can go home?" Carlos checks over his shoulder at Ross who nods, 

“Get your boy home and take the day off tomorrow. You did good today Reyes. I’ll be fighting the Texas Rangers off you.” 

“Don’t worry Ross I have no interest in working for my Dad. Spent 15 years on a ranch getting micromanaged by him.” 

“Ah Officer Reyes senior is a tough one to please, sure I don’t need to tell you that. Go on look after your boy.” Carlos guides TK from the police station with a hand on his back, steering him out of the way of distracted officers because he’s positive TK is running on autopilot. 

“Carlos! TK!” They both turn to watch as Carlos’ dad approaches from another office, TK seemingly without the energy to even seem worried about it. “I just finished up my bit. Are you two done?”

“Yeah. Yeah we’re just going home.”

“And I won’t keep you from it. Listen I haven’t told your mother, I thought you might like to do that yourself. How about we have you both for dinner when we can get the one day a month when all of our shifts line up.” 

“You don’t think Mama will mind?”

“Mind? She’ll be overjoyed. She thought you would be single forever.” 

“Thanks for the faith Dad.” 

“Hey I said your mother not me. I knew you would find someone good. I mean, maybe I was hoping for not a firefighter but what can I say. As long as you’re happy.”

“Paramedic.” TK mumbles into Carlos’ shoulder and Gabriel claps a hand against his arm. 

“Even better. Now I have no objections. I'm glad you're ok Tyler."

For once TK makes no objection at the sound of his own name, perhaps he is stuck trying to figure out how Gabriel knows it, or he doesn't want to upset the older man, or he is simply too tired to pull his usual face at the sound. 

As Gabriel walks away Carlos watches him go, trying to figure out how he went from being almost closeted this morning to having his boyfriend invited to dinner with his parents. Yeah he needs to talk to them more. Now is not the time. 

"Home?" TK requests, not moving though until Carlos touches his back again. As they walk every time Carlos' hand slips away from TK's back to press a lift button or shift out the way of someone, TK's steps falter slightly, initially Carlos diagnoses it as a mix of tiredness and uncertainty, until part of his statement looms back into his mind. The gun against TK's back? That is exactly where his hand is now.

They pick up food on the way home, TK fidgeting with the ice pack Tommy had practically forced into his hand from where she was waiting for them at the entrance way. Carlos offered her a ride home seconds before her family came round the corner and she bade them a quick farewell. 

"Put it on your face Ty." Carlos comments, barely looking away from the road and he bites back his smile when he hears a little huff then the soft thud of ice cubes being pressed against TK's cheek. 

"'Los?"

"Yeah?" 

"I really am sorry for outing you. I would never-"

"I know. I know. But do you think after searching for you for 8 hours my Dad never once questioned why I was so frantic? If he didn't already suspect the truth he really shouldn't be a Texas Ranger. I know you would never do that to me." 

"He took it well?"

"Very well. Maybe I was wrong about them or I don't know. Maybe seeing us together changed his mind. Once I've told my Mom we'll talk it out. Its one less thing we have to worry about anyway. I hope." TK squeezes his thigh gently then winces. 

"Do we have painkillers at home?"

"All TK approved painkillers." TK snorts fondly, pressing the ice pack halfway across his face. "Headache?"

"Mmm. Tommy said I wasn't concussed."

"Do you agreed paramedic Strand?" 

"Yeah. Main impact was on my cheek and jaw. The pain is what is causing the problem." 

"We will get you fed and dose you up, maybe a shower and then I intend to cuddle you, possibly to death."

"Great. Survive a hostage situation and die by cuddles. The 126 would never let that one go." 

Aside from the death by cuddling Carlos lives up to his word, keeping TK wrapped up in his arms in their cocoon of blankets and pillows, his nose resting into TK's hair, which smells like apples. 

"I am very glad you are ok." He murmurs into their silence and TK hums in response, cracking an eyelid open to smile at Carlos. 

"I am very glad you found me."

"Always will." There is a long stretch of silence before Carlos feels the need to continue. "With that being said, even if I will always find you, please don't feel encouraged to go missing again." 

TK sighs dramatically, pushing in even closer to Carlos if that was possible. "I suppose."


End file.
